Low-fat Cinnamon Rolls

I don't skimp when it comes to sweets. So believe me when I say these rolls give no hint of being low-fat. They are time consuming to make but nothing goes better with your coffee/tea on a cold winter morning than one of these fresh out of the oven. They get stale in three days so to maintain your waistline I recommend sharing. I guarantee you'll gain instant popularity and a charisma bonus.

Recipe Summary
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 12
Source: Cook's Country, Feb/March 2006

Ingredients

Dough
Skim milk, warm, 1 1/3 cup
Maple syrup, 3 Tbs
Butter, unsalted, melted, 2 Tbs
Yeast, rapid rise or instant, 1 package
Flour, all-purpose, 3 1/2 cups, plus extra for work surface
Salt, 1 tsp
Filling
Dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup packed
Granulated sugar, 1/4 cup
Cinnamon, 2 tsp
Salt, 1/8 tsp
Unsalted butter, 1 Tbs, melted
Icing
Confectioners' sugar, 1 cup
Light cream cheese, 4 Tbs
Skim milk, 1 Tbs
Vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp

Directions

Dough

1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off.
2. Lightly grease large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Coat 13 by 9-inch with cooking spray.
3. Mix milk, syrup, and melted butter together in large measuring cup.
4. Mix flour, yeast, and salt together in bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook (if you don't have a mixer see number 1 in Notes).
5. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase to medium and mix until shiny and smooth, 4 to 6 minutes.
6. Dough will be sticky; if it seems too wet and is not forming a ball, add up to 1/4 more flour as needed and knead dough two minutes more.
7. Turn dough onto heavily floured surface, shape into ball, and place in greased bowl. Cover and rest in warm oven for 10 mins.

Filling

1.  While dough is resting mix sugars, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter in medium bowl until incorporated.

To make rolls

1. On lightly floured surface, roll dough into 18 by 12-inch rectangle with long side facing you. 
2. Sprinkle sugar mixture over dough, leaving 1/2 inch border along top edge and then lightly press sugar into dough.
3. Starting at edge nearest you, roll up dough. Brush border with water, then press dough to seal.
4. Using chef's knife, slice dough. Cut the cylinder in half, then half again (making 4 pieces). Cut each piece into three pieces, yielding 12 rolls.
5. Place in prepared pan with cut side up. Cover pan with plastic wrap coated with cooking spray and return to warm oven until rolls have nearly doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes.
6. Remove pan from oven and heat oven to 350 degrees (rolls will continue to rise on counter as you wait for oven to heat). Remove plastic wrap and bake until rolls are deep brown and filling is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Rotate pan front to back halfway through baking.

Icing

1. While rolls are baking, whisk confectioners sugar, cream cheese, milk, and vanilla together in small bowl until smooth.
2. Remove pan from oven, turn rolls out onto rack, and flip them right side up. Cool 10 minutes, then spread icing over rolls. Serve hot or warm.

Notes

1.  If you don't have a mixer mix flour, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl. Make well in flour, then add milk mixture to well. Stir until dough becomes shaggy and difficult to stir. Turn dough out onto heavily floured surface and knead until dough forms cohesive ball and is smooth, about 10 minutes. Proceed as directed.
2. I have found the rolls to be lacking sufficient filling. Therefore, I recommend multiplying the filling by 1 1/2  or 2 times especially if your rectangle (like mine) always ends up bigger than the recommended 18 by 12-inch.
3. I use Vietnamese cinnamon from Penzies. It gives a bit more spice and in my opinion adds to the mixture.
4. Set out the cream cheese from the start so it has time to come to room temperature. Unlike butter it doesn't do so well heated in the microwave.
5. It is best to read this recipe through a couple times before you start. Every time I make these I screw something up. They still end up tasty but aren't to perfection.